Thousands of people across the UK are going to make a pledge to change their world by changing the way they travel.
By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Sustrans’ Change Your World campaign began Monday 1st June and thousands are expected to visit www.changeyourworld.org.uk and promise to swap just one car journey between 29 June and 4 July in favor of walking, cycling, taking public transport, car-sharing or simply not making the trip at all!
If everyone in Britain made one less car journey every week it would reduce car travel by at least ten per cent, which would mean an annual saving of almost 7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
This would be a significant step towards achieving Britain ’s target to reduce emissions to at least 34 per cent below 1990 emissions by 2018-22, set by the Chancellor in April as part of the World’s first carbon budget.
And that is not even considering all the pollution that could be prevented and that could make the air more breathable. Pollution from motorcars and especially trucks and buses that blast out diesel particles into the air is as dangerous if not more so as carbon dioxide.
On average across the British population there are 435 car driver trips per person per year. 57 per cent of the population has a drivers' license so there are around 435/0.57 = 763 car driver trips per car driver per year.
A 10 per cent reduction equates to 76 fewer car driver trips per car driver, per year, or 38 return journeys.
Switching one journey per week would achieve at least this (even taking into account that not everyone who has a license drives, and that there are less than 52 traveling weeks in the year).
Total UK carbon dioxide emissions from transport are 173 million tonnes. Passenger cars account for 39.7 per cent of this - 68.7 million tonnes. A ten per cent reduction would therefore save around 6.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. (Source: Department for Transport Carbon Pathways Analysis July 2008)
Malcolm Shepherd, Sustrans’ Chief Executive, said: ‘One person changing just one journey may seem like a small step. But when that person is among thousands of others, all making their own pledge to leave their cars at home, then the potential impact is huge.
‘Individually, we can all take positive action to tackle climate change, reduce traffic congestion, and increase our activity levels. Collectively, it will make a difference.’
As well as benefiting the environment, people who swap a journey as part of Change Your World will be improving their health.
A quarter of all car journeys are two miles or less, so walking a two-mile journey instead would burn an average of around 140 calories – the equivalent of a medium glass of wine or a bag of crisps. A steady two-mile cycle journey would burn an average of 80 calories – the equivalent of a chocolate digestive biscuit. (Source www.eatwell.gov.uk).
Pledgers don’t have to walk or cycle. Using public transport instead of the car will help increase activity through walking to and from stations and stops. It’s also a far more sociable way of traveling - as is car-sharing - and will help cut local traffic congestion.
In 2008, around 8000 people pledged to swap a journey as part of Change Your World. Sustrans is hoping even more people will get involved this year and demonstrate that alternatives to personal car travel are a real option.
For more information, or to make a pledge, visit www.changeyourworld.org.uk or to find out more about Sustrans and how to support its work, visit www.sustrans.org.uk.
Once upon a time, and no, I am not about to start a fairytale, it was said about the Americans that they would use the car to go to the lavatory even if they could, that attached to their cars they appeared. Nowadays is would be more true to say this about the average British family.
In the UK people use cars for so many unnecessary journeys that it is very hard to believe indeed. Some take is thus far as to go by car – and in fact it is not just some but a great majority by now – to the local small grocers to get the newspaper or cigarettes or the forgotten pint of milk.
It takes them more time and effort to get the car off the drive, to drive to the store, find a parking place where you don't get a ticket, and this all can take longer than going there and back on foot and if would be faster even by bike. But no, it has to be the car.
© 2009
<>
Change Your World - make a pledge for the planet
